SuperCoach BBL is open and the season proper is approaching. We appreciate it’s tough to stay across all the news this early, so we’ll aggregate all the important stuff in one spot each week in the lead-up to Round 1.
SIGNING NEWS
The Melbourne Renegades confirmed they had secured Andre Russell ($145k BAT/BWL) as an overseas replacement for Liam Livingstone ($180k BAT/BWL), during the period at the start of the BBL where the Englishman will be unavailable. That’s the Gades’ first four games, which are all SC BBL singles, meaning Dre-Russ won’t play in their Round 5 double.
Gades GM James Rosengarten said: “Andre is one of the best T20 players in the world; he’s a proven match-winner and exactly the type of player we need. He adds to our team in all three facets of the game – his ability to clear the boundary, take wickets and make things happen in the field.
“We had positive discussions with Andre throughout the draft process and were always keen to try to get him back in red. With Liam’s availability changing after the draft, there was an opportunity to add Andre to our group and we jumped at it.”
Check out our list of all the updated squads, with ins and outs
AVAILABILITY ISSUES
With the T20 World Cup on, nothing new came to light this week.
INJURIES
There was good news for Hurricanes left-armer Joel Paris ($96k BWL) who had an injury scare last week with hip tightness but was cleared to play for WA in the Sheffield Shield this week, completing a full game, so no BBL issues at this stage.
Gades veteran batsman Shaun Marsh ($121k BAT) missed that game, as he continues his recovery after a clean-up knee surgery in the off-season. He’s reportedly due back soon.
Hurricanes coach Jeff Vaughan offered an update on Paris’ fast bowling teammate Billy Stanlake ($68k BWL) who is rebuilding his fitness. Vaughan said: “He’s probably bowling at 50-60%… We’re excited with how he’s tracking. He’s on the path to be playing some club cricket in the T20s (Dec 8-10), with a vision to be available for selection throughout the Big Bash.”
Aaron Finch ($139k BAT) and Tim David ($89k BAT) both have been trying to prove their fitness for Australia at the T20 World Cup due to hamstring issues, but that isn’t likely to impact their BBL seasons. The only flag really is Finch’s aging body and the likelihood he may struggle to play a full BBL campaign.
Marcus Stoinis ($83k BAT/BWL) had a scan on his hamstring but was cleared. The Stars’ all-rounder is always an injury risk so it was pleasing he is fine, with the scan merely precautionary.
Rashid Khan ($193k BWL) also had a knee injury scare in the field late in Afghanistan’s loss to Sri Lanka but all indications are that he’s fine, despite looking very sore and ginger afterwards. Afghan coach Jonathan Trott said he was clear to play in Friday’s game against Australia, despite jarring his knee and a minor back issue.
Sixers new signing Kurtis Patterson ($127k BAT) spent time off the field in NSW’s Shield game due to a migraine but returned, so he’ll be fine.
Matt Gilkes ($97k W/B) fractured his finger in training and missed NSW’s Shield game and is unavailable for their upcoming Marsh Cup game too. Hayden Kerr ($157k BAT/BWL) is back in the NSW mix after a broken finger from pre-season camp.
Tanveer Sangha ($130k BWL) remains sidelined with a back injury. Cricket NSW said in a statement: “Sangha is undergoing rehabilitation from a lower back stress injury and is aiming to return to play during KFC BBL|12.”
FORM GUIDE
Shadab Khan ($125k BAT/BWL) is the one grabbing a lot of SuperCoach interest with his T20 World Cup performances, highlighted by Thursday’s blazing 52 off 22 balls and 2-16, totalling 132 SC BBL points for a four-game average of 100.5 this tournament.
South African batsman Rilee Rossouw ($105k BAT) has failed with the bat in his past two knocks, stalling SuperCoach interest in him, with SC BBL scores of 10 and 17 this week. It seems feast or famine with him, but the back-to-back Round 1-2 doubles may be too alluring.
In NSW’s Kingsgrove T20 Cup on Sunday, Sixers veteran spinner Steve O’Keefe ($167k BWL) claimed 4-10 for Manly. In WA Premier Cricket, Ashton Turner ($105k BAT) made a century and took two wickets for Fremantle in a two-day game.
In the Shield, Jordan Silk ($84k BAT) made 154* for Tasmania against Victoria, while the aforementioned Patterson ($127k BAT) overcame that migraine to score 122* for NSW.
Jhye Richardson ($149k BWL) boosted his Test credentials (possibly impacting his early-season availability) with six wickets in WA’s win over Queensland. Michael Neser ($107k BAT/BWL) did the same, with seven wickets for the game and a half-century.
Check out our fixture analysis, listing all the doubles and byes, and players you should target
